Did Cinderella use an oil? An essential oil?
No, she didn't. Unfortunately.
Had she used an oil like Ginger, (The oil of Empowerment) the progression of her story might have gone quite differently.
In my own life I feel like Cinderella on occasion. Sunday morning I had planned to go riding. For fun! Not training a young horse, not practicing for an event, no just for fun, to be with my horse, explore and connect.
But when I woke up and looked around the house "Cinderella thoughts" started creeping in.
" Look at the kitchen! Oh my...who would go riding and leave the kitchen a mess?"
"Work first, fun later," my Mothers words echoed in my head.
And wasn't there the cabinet I needed to clear out? Bills to pay? This very blog to write?
Only when EVERYTHING is done one is allowed to go and have fun. Right?
This rule, interestingly enough, only applies to women.
I have not found a single fairy tale where the prince must clean the kitchen before he sets off to slay his dragon! Have you?
So, let's rewrite this story!
We can just start here: Cinderella a is looking at all the lentils, the cruel stepmother had thrown into the ashes. She needs to pick every single one before she can go the the ball. Cinderella is discouraged. She will never be able to finish this task in time! She will still sit here and sort lentils by the time the ball is long over!
In her despair she calls on her forest animals friends to come and help her. Much to her surprise her chipmunk friend brings her a little bottle of Essential oil!
"How is this going to help me to work faster?" Cinderella wonders.
"Just open it and smell!", the chipmunk insists.
So Cinderella takes the lid off , puts a drop on her palm and takes a deep breath in.
Immediately new thoughts come to her, as if the Ginger oil was speaking to her: "Cinderella, you don't have to do this! Who says you can only go once this task is completed? Don't give the stepmother this power over you!
Set yourself free! Leave those old lentils where they are and just go now!"
Suddenly Cinderella feels ready to choose her own destiny! She feels empowered and free! With a big smile she thanks here friend, gives the lentils one last look and simply leaves to go meet her prince.
Now today most of us are not really going after a prince...all we want is some time to ride our horse, to be alone, to do whatever it is we love, that feeds our soul and nourishes our spirit.
I have thought for a long time why women especially have such a difficult time with self care. It is hard to "find the time" to do things for ourselves, instead of everything else for everyone else.
As women, and especially as Mothers we are never truly " done". There seems to be an endless to do list of tasks and chores and our work day certainly doesn't just end and at 5 pm. If you are an entrepreneur and run your own business that only intensifies. I wrote a lot of my books between 10 pm and 3 am, when it was quiet, the kids in bed and no one wanted anything.
I find it really important to set boundaries for the forever to do list. To learn to say....."well, even though not everything is done, I am going to go and take care of my self anyway."
Otherwise we burn out and eventually get resentful.
I don't even think pondering on the "why" is so important any more. When I feel the Cinderella voice, I step back and look at the situation....is there in fact a really pressing thing I absolutely must do before I can go ride?
If not, I use Essential oils like Ginger as an aromatic anchor, a reset button, to keep the guilt at bay. In my mind I hire this oil to help me feel empowered and free and go do what I had planned...yes planned! I actually put my rides, and "me time" in my calendar, so that when I look what I am supposed to do this morning it actually says: "Go ride your horse!"
Than alone helps me to actually shake off all else, realize that the only place we still have evil stepmothers with lentils are in fairy tales and my own head.
I take deep breath and step out to do what I really want to do : Ride my horse!
